Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa Blog

Goa looks at offering tax reimbursement to filmmakers

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 06:20 AM PST

Barely two days after veteran Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra gave a tongue-lashing to the Goa and central governments for imposing new taxes on the film industry, an embarrassed state government has taken cue.

“We are considering offering tax reimbursement to the filmmakers who are keen on shooting in Goa,” chief executive officer of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) Manoj Srivastava said on Wednesday.

The official was speaking at a seminar on film trade on the sidelines of the 41st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) being held in Goa.

“We are looking at returning the tax amount back to the filmmaker after he produces proper bills for the amount spent while shooting in Goa,” he said.

“I am echoing the sentiments of Yash Chopra who has also expressed a need for relaxation of taxes,” Srivastava said.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the IFFI in Panaji on Monday, Chopra said the state was meting out step-motherly treatment to filmmakers.

“Why is the government treating us in a step-motherly manner? If these new taxes come, I am sure they will come because they have made up their mind, filmmakers will not be able to make movies anymore,” he said.

“India celebrates 100 years of cinema in 2012 and maybe they will be writing the obituary of Indian cinema then,” the Dadasaheb Phalke award winner added.

Courtesy:IBN

Goa’s opposition to Mhadai project should be covered under terms of reference

Posted: 24 Nov 2010 06:10 AM PST

Shri Shantaram Naik M.P. has requested the Union Minister for Water Resources Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal that the Central Government should incorporate terms of reference to the notification,  issued by it,  appointing tribunal for Mhadei river dispute.

It may be recalled that the Central Government has issued a notification for constituting Tribunal under the Chairmanship of Justice J.M.Panchal , justice Viney Mittal of Madhya Pradesh High Court and Justice P.S.Narayana  former Judge of Andra Pradesh High Court, being the two other members.

In a letter written by him to Mr Bansal today, Mr Naik has said that the State of Goa is not demanding any share in the water and,  as such,  there is no "water dispute"  existing between the states in that sense.

The State of Goa is basically opposed to the project on grounds that the project,  if completed,  would destroy the ecology of the State of Goa and, it would constitute a dangerous environmental hazard to the State.

In these circumstances, one of the fundamental terms of reference in this case has to be whether the Government of Karnataka  should be permitted to construct the project, Mr Naik has said in his letter to Mr Bansal.

I have gone through the notification dated 16th November,2010, issued by the Central Government under section 4 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act,1956.

Goa: International Film Festival of India 2010-Day 2

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 07:55 PM PST

Photographic Glimpses of International Film Festival of India.

Bollywood film director Madhur Bhandarkar seen along with the Chief Secretary of the Goa State, Sanjay Shrivastav during the inaugural ceremony of the Short Film Centre on the second day of the ongoing 41st International film festival of India in Panaji.

Delegates seen experiencing the thrill of 3d movies during the film bazaar on the second day of the ongoing 41st International film festival of India in Panaji.

Food stalls at the Inox courtyard.

A special stage has been provided to R.K.FILMS on IFFI corniche.

Noted playback singer Amit Kumar seen addressing a press conference with Bollywood actress Anooradha Patel during the ongoing 41st International film festival of India in Panaji.

Knowledge session at the Film Bazaar on the second day of the ongoing 41st International film festival of India in Panaji.


Pics by Applied Art

Courtesy: daijiworld

Urbanisation will spell disaster for Goa: Green filmmaker

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 10:17 AM PST

A woman who has tracked down and visually documented disappearing lakes in New Delhi’s periphery now says rampant unplanned urbanisation will spell disaster for Goa.

Ishani Dutta, whose documentary film The Land of the Vanishing Lakes will be screened at the Short Film Centre (SFC) of the 41st International Film Festival of India (IFFI), told that planned urbanisation was the only way for Goa to sustain itself.

“Rampant unplanned urbanisation will spell disaster for the local inhabitants of Goa. It is imperative that you learn lessons from other cities and encourage planned urbanisation,” she said.

Aggressive civil society groups in the state have demanded an end to mega housing projects and rampant, indiscriminate mining in the state.

Already screened at the American Centre for the Red Earth Festival 2009 and the CMS Vatavaran Film Festival 2009, Ishani’s The Land of the Vanishing Lakes is competing for the coveted Vasudha Award at the festival this year. The Vasudha Award is the only state sponsored award for a film on environment and carries a purse of Rs.3 lakh.

Speaking about how she came up with the subject of vanishing lakes as a subject for her documentary, Ishani said, “I have been visiting these lakes since childhood and the lakes completely disappeared in the last two to three years. I wanted to dig out the reasons and one thing led to the other”.

“The most popular lakes of NCR have disappeared. The two billion year old water bodies of the Aravallis - Surajkund, Badkhal and Damdama - have all dried up,” she said.

“This film looks at the nexus between the corrupt bureaucracy with the construction and the mining mafia. With exclusive bytes from retired forest officers, environmentalists and scientists, we piece together the whole story behind the current mess,” Ishani said, adding that the film ends with a ray of hope, in spite of apparent ecological disaster and offers a way-ahead in devastated areas.

She said the film took six months to complete and several reconnaissance trips, but would require support from the media and NGOs to reach out to people at several levels in the government agencies who have the power to stop illegal mining and urbanisation.

“They (illegal miners) may not stop because there is a huge amount of money involved in the mining business, but yes it did raise awareness among people. There was a huge uproar on the issue in the media. Today there is only limited mining allowed in the region. Clandestine mining is on as reported by some agencies,” she pointed out.

Speaking about the importance of initiatives such as the short film centre at the IFFI, she said such forums provided a huge platform to voice concerns involving environment and society.

“This might further help us get funds for our future endeavours,” said Ishani, whose earlier documentaries have focused on subjects like the alarming growth of HIV/AIDS in the transport sector, environment conservation through nature worship and groundwater depletion in Haryana.

Courtesy:IBN
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